Compugen and Novartis Pharma Extend License Agreement for Identification, Prioritization and Validation of New Drug Targets.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K TEL AVIV Tel Aviv (tĕl əvēv`), city (1994 pop. 355,200), W central Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea. Oficially named Tel Aviv–Jaffa, it is Israel's commercial, financial, communications, and cultural center and the core of its largest , Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 2003 Agreement includes collaboration for design of DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. probes and continued licensing of Compugen's LEADS platform Compugen Ltd. (Nasdaq:CGEN CGEN Convective Sigmet Generation ) today announced the extension of Novartis Pharma's license of Compugen's LEADS platform. In addition, Compugen will design a genome-wide collection of DNA probes for Novartis. The design of DNA probes is based on Compugen's expertise in transcriptome The transcriptome is the set of all messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, or "transcripts", produced in one or a population of cells. The term can be applied to the total set of transcripts in a given organism, or to the specific subset of transcripts present in a particular cell type. analysis, which takes into account important biological phenomena such as alternative splicing Alternative splicing is the RNA splicing variation mechanism in which the exons of the primary gene transcript, the pre-mRNA, are separated and reconnected so as to produce alternative ribonucleotide arrangements. and naturally occurring antisense antisense, DNA or RNA manipulated in a laboratory so that its components (nucleotides) form a complementary copy of normal, or "sense," messenger RNA (mRNA; see nucleic acid). . DNA probes are used to measure and analyze the expression of mRNA molecules transcribed from genes of interest in order to improve understanding of gene function. Mor Amitai, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Compugen Ltd., commented, "We are delighted that Novartis has elected to continue our very productive relationship for an additional year, thereby completing the maximum three-year term for the agreement. Our collaboration provides us the opportunity to continue to develop and improve our platforms and technologies for biological discovery, while working with -- and learning from -- one of the global leaders in developing novel approaches for drug discovery and development." "We are very pleased with our successful collaboration with Compugen for the development of a high quality infrastructure for target identification and prioritization. Compugen's expertise, combined with the excellent working relationship developed between our two teams of scientists, enabled us to both meet all of the milestones, and ultimately helps feed our drug target pipeline," said Dalia Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. , Ph.D., Head of Functional Genomics Noun 1. functional genomics - the branch of genomics that determines the biological function of the genes and their products genomics - the branch of genetics that studies organisms in terms of their genomes (their full DNA sequences) , Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research Biomedical research (or experimental medicine), in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research or applied research conducted to aid the body of knowledge in the field of medicine. , Inc., in Cambridge, MA. About Compugen Compugen (NASDAQ:CGEN), a drug and diagnostic discovery company, is a leader in incorporating ideas and methods from mathematics, computer science and physics into the disciplines of biology, organic chemistry and medicine with the objective of significantly increasing the probability of success of drug and diagnostic development. This unique capability is a proven basis for both in-house discovery of potential therapeutic and diagnostic products, and the development of high value platforms, tools and services. Compugen has established collaborations with leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Gene Logic, Novartis, Pfizer and Sigma-Genosys. For additional information, please visit Compugen's Website at www.cgen.com. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. These statements include words like "may," "expects," "believes," and "intends," and describe opinions about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Compugen to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are: changes in relationships with collaborators; the impact of competitive products and technological changes; risks relating to the development of new products; the ability to implement technological improvements; the ability of Compugen to obtain and retain customers. These and other factors are identified and more fully explained under the heading "Risk Factors" in Compugen's annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
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